SRFA courts Wanderers, Silver in fundraiser

The Southern Region Football Association (SRFA) has embarked on a serious fundraising drive to generate money in order to settle referees’ outstanding dues and other debts.

Just a few weeks after organising a match between Mangochi Select and giants Nyasa Big Bullets at the Mangochi Stadium, the Raphael Humba led body is at it again, this time bringing a mouth-watering tie between Be Forward Wanderers and Silver Strikers.

Wanderers to face Silver strikers on 18 March.(File)

Mangochi Stadium is again the venue for the blockbuster friendly, slated for Sunday 18 March.

According to Humba, they are owing referees about K2.9 million dating back from 2014 and hope to settle that after the match, from which they are targeting to raise at least K8 million, just as it was in the Bullets-Mangochi clash.

“We paid them something after the previous game and we hope to settle everything after the upcoming tie. That’s why we thought of bringing Wanderers and Silver, two teams with a huge following on the local scene,” said Humba.

He added that this will be their last-but-one fundraising activity before the start of the season.

The SRFA is the only one among the three regional associations yet to hold its 2017 season prize presentation ceremony, but Humba insists they cannot cancel such an important event.

“We are still talking to our sponsors (Masters Security Services) to set a date and venue and once that is sorted out, we will communicate. Last year we had other activities among them a music performance by Lucius Banda and a game between Blantyre United and Masters Security fc, so this time around we want to make it bigger, hence the delay,” he said.

But other reports suggest that the sponsor is being elusive on honouring contractual obligations and is yet to release the prize money for the season.